Local planning: housing element: emergency shelters.

Existing law, the Planning and Zoning Law, requires each city, county, and city and county to prepare and adopt a general plan that contains certain mandatory elements, including a housing element. Existing law requires the housing element to contain specified information and analysis of existing and projected housing needs, including an assessment of housing needs and an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to meeting those needs. Existing law requires the assessment to contain the identification of a zone or zones where emergency shelters are allowed as a permitted use without a conditional use or other discretionary permit. Existing law authorizes a local government to impose on the emergency shelters only those development and management standards that apply to residential or commercial development within the same zone, except a local government may additionally impose objective standards on the maximum number of beds or persons permitted to be served nightly by the facility, sufficient parking to accommodate all staff working in the emergency shelter, the size and location of client intake areas, the provision of onsite management, the proximity to other shelters, the length of stay, lighting, and security during operating hours. This bill would revise the objective standards local governments are authorized to impose on emergency shelters to only include the provision of onsite management and security during hours that the emergency shelter is in operation. By increasing the duties of local planning officials, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.